Utah’s Own Rodeo moving third performance to Monday evening
SALT LAKE CITY – With less than a month remaining on the professional rodeo regular season, organizers of Utah’s Own Rodeo have made a decision they hope will help more contestants make their way to Salt Lake City in early September.
“The Utah State Fair board of directors is optimistic that moving the rodeo to Monday will it grow,” said Jacee Lancaster, the livestock director for the Utah State Fairpark & Event Center. “We realized it was a struggle for contestants to make their way to our rodeo that weekend. We wanted to ensure that they could get here without as big of a headache, so we moved our final performance from Sunday to Monday.”
Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo set for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, and Saturday, Sept. 7, with the final performance at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, in the Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairgrounds in Salt Lake City. Tickets can be purchased at UtahStateFair.com/tickets.
The primary obstacle is the Washington State Fair Rodeo. Preliminary go-rounds take place Sept. 5-7, and the top 12 in each event qualify for the championship round, which takes place Sunday, Sept. 8. The drive from Puyallup, Washington, to Salt Lake City will take about 13 hours, which leaves no time to compete at both events. Flights out of either Seattle or Portland might help, but they would be limited.
“I’ve never competed at the state fair rodeo,” said Statler Wright, 20, a saddle bronc rider from Beaver, Utah, who is closing in on his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. “We entered it last year, but we got up over the short round in Puyallup. This year I think we’ve got it set up to where we can go no matter what.”
There are more than 20 rodeos across North America that weekend, including big-money events in Salt Lake City; Puyallup; Lewiston, Idaho; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Abilene, Texas; and Fort Madison, Iowa. Cowboys and cowgirls will try to make it to as many stops as possible as they close in on the final few weeks of the season.
It’s imperative that they gather as much cash as possible before Sept. 30; only the top 15 on the money list in each event will advance to the NFR, the sport’s premier event and grand finale that will feature the biggest pay in the game. Puyallup is the first stop in the Cinch Playoffs, and contestants who qualify for that event must compete in order to advance to the finale in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“We understand how important all these other rodeos are to the contestants, so we want to be as accommodating as possible,” Lancaster said. “It’s a hectic time of year in rodeo, and they’re all scrambling to earn as much money as possible and get the qualifications they need.
“Our fans deserve to see the very best cowboys in rodeo, and we think this will be the best way possible for us to attract them to town that weekend.”
Historically, Utah’s Own Rodeo was the only event in the state that conducted a Sunday performance. By changing the dates, the event will follow suit with the dozens of other Utah PRCA rodeos that take Sunday off.
“Rodeo is a way of life in this part of the world, and a lot of families came out and enjoyed their days together at our rodeo,” Lancaster said. “We hope that since we’re starting our Monday rodeo a little earlier that those same families will be able to enjoy an evening at the rodeo.
“It’s going to be a special night, and I think we’re going to see a lot of world champions and other NFR qualifiers at the state fairgrounds.”